As a master sommelier, past host of WTTW’s “Check, Please!” and current owner of two hot, hot, hot Chicago restaurants (The Boarding House, Seven Lions), Alpana Singh understands the importance of bringing food, wine and people together. So it’s no surprise to learn that Singh is the guiding force behind Culinary Complete Works, the special […]
This is a new cocktail with our own Westwood twist. We started with rye bourbon as a base and realized the ingredients could be manipulated to suit other base alcohols with amazing results. The original name for the drink was “The Dude,” in reference to the Big Lebowski. We as a whole were not thrilled […]
It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of “Chicago beer” started with Old Style and ended with a draft from Goose Island’s brewpub. In the past few years, however, local breweries have been starting up in the city and suburbs at an astounding rate — from just a handful in the late 90s to […]
While we did not originate this cocktail, it is one that we revived in the area. The recipe is pretty straight forward but it is the specific liquor, liqueur and ginger beer that set it apart from others. We have told many a guest that if they use other, and in particular, inferior products, it […]
Local brewery Sketchbook opened in Evanston in late 2014, brewing up small-batch craft beers and selling them by the growler. They’ve been so successful — both in retail and wholesale — that they have just opened a brand spanking new street-front tap room on Chicago Avenue, just down the street from the brewery, and conveniently […]
We may be a bit biased, but we believe Chicago has some of the best restaurants in the world. To help you take advantage of what Chicago and its surrounding suburbs have to offer food-wise, we’ve created this handy dandy dining guide. Read on to find some of the best garden-to-table restaurants, the area’s new steakhouses, where […]
We wait for eight cold, sad months, and one day, the sun finally shines, the earth warms and our hearts open up to summertime in Chicago. And for four glorious months, we dine outside like Parisians, gazing out at our sapphire lake. In recent years, Chicago has added some fabulous rooftop bars to its arsenal […]
A few years ago, we ran a wonderful piece by Andrea Guthmann about high tea in Chicago and you liked it. You really, really liked it. So, just in time for Mother’s Day, we wanted to share a secret with you: As wonderful as those suggestions were, Chicago, in its great abundance, has STILL MORE […]
When the James Beard Awards come to town May 2, chefs, mixologists, sommeliers and restaurateurs from across the country will descend upon Chicago for a delicious, sometimes debaucherous, weekend of eating and drinking. Here, past award winners share their Chicago favorites and spots they can’t wait to try. “I definitely want to make a stop […]
Most accurately, we should call this a tale of two taquerias, but “two tacos” scans better. Taco Lago, owned by local restaurateur Tim Lenon (Fuel), is located in Plaza del Lago on the far eastern edge of town, while The Trendy Taco can be found in the heart of downtown Wilmette, in the old Hotcakes […]
